Switch-throwing device.



PATENTED 00T. 3.o, 1906.

T. A.-GBRLAGH. SWITCH THROWING DEVICE'. APPLICATION FILVD JULY 11. 1906.

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UNTTED STATES PATENT oEErcE.

v THOMAS A. GERLAcH, or HARVEY, iLLINorS, ASSIGNoE To THE BUDA CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

FOUNDRY & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A

SWITCH-THRQWING DEVICE.

specificati@ of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 30, 1906.

To @ZZ whom it may coneern.-

tion of the switch structure, and B to the Be it known that I, THOMAS A. GERLACH, a citizen of the United States, residing'at Harvey, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in vSwitch-Throwing Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to tongue-Switches, and it refers particularly to an improved device for-throwing Atongue-switches which is adapted to hold the tongue firmly in position at either extremity of its throw.

The invention further refers to means whereby such a switch is made operative as a right-hand or a left-hand spring-switch, with means for locking the switch ineither of its two positions.

The invention further refers to various improvements in detail in the construction of switch-operating mechanism. y

In the accompanyingdrawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of the switch-operating mechanism of. my invention and 'a portion of the tongue-switch structure with which it is associated. Fig. 2 is a similar'view Showing the operating mechanism in the opposite position of its throw. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section through the switch-operating mechanism, showing the switch structure in transverse section, the view being taken on the plane of dotted line 3 3'of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view through the switchoperating mechanism'and its inclosing casing on dotted line 4 4 of Fig. 3. y

In the drawings, A refers to the body pormovable tongue.

In the present embodiment of my'invention I mount the switch throwing mechanism within a box or casing 1, of cast iron or other suitable material, said box having lugs or flanges 2 at one end, by means of which it may be bolted to the side of the switch structure A in a position to be readily reached and operated by the motorman or conductor. Said box 1 is provided with'a hinged cover 3 to rotect the switch operating mechanism om the weather. ,In the bottom of the box I provide a drain-opening 4 and in one end an opening 5 for the passage of the switch-rod hereinafter mentioned. Upon theopposite side walls of the box 1 are two inwardly-projecting alined ystuds 6. In'the present instance said studs are cast integral with the side walls ofthe box. A little distance below each of the bearing-studs 6 lis a pair of guide-lugs 7, also cast integral with the box. Two stop-lugs 8 for limiting the throw of the mechanism, as will appear hereinafter, project inwardly from the opposite side walls of the box 1, near each end thereof, and a little distance above one of said stop-lugs of each pair is a stud 9, recessed to receive a lockingpin 10, the purpose of which pin is to lock the switch throwing mechanism from action when it is desirable to use the switch'as an automatic one-way spring-Switch.

A switch-rod 11, secured in any suitable ,manner at its outer end to the switch-tongue B, extends through the opening 5 in the end of the box 1, and at its inner end is rigidly secured to a sliding bracket 12. In the present instance the switch-rod 11 is secured to Saidr bracket by passing Said rod through an opening 13 m the bracket' and providing two clamping-nuts 14, adapted to be turned into contact with opposite faces of the end portion of said bracket. The sliding bracket 12 is of such width as to permit it to lie between the two pairs of bearing guide-lugs 7, a stud 15 on each side of said bracket projecting into the opening between the adjacent pair of guide-lugs, by means of which studs the bracket 12 is Supported in its sliding movement longitudinally of the box 1 in the operation of the Switch-throwing mechanism. The bracket 12 is also provided upon its upper side with two alined bearing-pockets 16,

having contracted mouths 17 for a purpose to y appear hereinafter.

An oscillatory spring-holder 18 is pivotally supported in the bracket 12 by means of integral studs 19, extending from opposite sides of said spring-holder, which studs are adapted to lie within the bearing-pockets 16 of the bracket 12. serting the studs 1 9 of the spring-holder 18 into their bearing-pockets 16, said studs are fiattened upon their sides near their outer ends, Fig. 3, to adapt saidstuds to pass through the mouths 17 into the bearing-pockets 16 when the spring-holder is in a vertical position. a stem 20 for retaining the coiled compressionspring 21 in position in' said holder. The

l other end of the spring is held within a lever The spring-holder 18 is provided with.

In order to permit of in- IOO . 22 in yoke form by means of a stud 23 on said lever entering the end of said spring, said lever embracing the spring-holder 18 and the sliding bracket 12. The ends 24 of the arms of the lever 22 are in hook form to receive the lbearing-studs 6, upon which studs the lever` 22 is adapted to oscillate, said oscillatory movementI being limited by the stop-lugs 8 to an arc of a little less than one hundred and eighty degrees.

The movement of the sliding bracket 12 with reference to the throw of the switchtongue B is adjusted by changing the position of the clamping-nuts 14 upon the switchrod 11, thus, in effect, altering the length of said rod between the bracket 12 and the switch-tongue. As the switch-rod 11 is thus lengthened or shortened the switch-tongue is held the more firmly against one side or the other of the switch structure A, or the length of therod may be adjusted so that the tongue will throw with equal force to either extremity of its oscillatory movement.

The switch-operating mechanism hereinbefore described is compact enough to be secured to the switch structure before shipment from the manufactory, so that the switch may be connected to its operating mechanism and made ready for service before it leaves the shop.

y reference to Figs. 1 and 2, it will be noted that the lever 22 serves as one abutment for the compression-spring 21 the spring-holder 18 being the other abutment. The spring-holder 18 being carried by-the sliding bracket 12, the force of the sprin is transmitted to the switch-tongue-B to ho d the latter iirmly at either extremity of its movement. The tongue B is thrown by pivotally moving the lever 22. The spring 21 being comparatively stiiii, the spring-holder 18 is rocked with the lever 22 when the latter is moved. Since the lever 22 forms an unyielding abutment for the spring 21, it is apparent that the bracket 12 will be slid as soon as the pivotal .movement of the lever 22 brings the spring into such an angular position with relation to the bracket 12 that it can expand. It will thus be seen that the direction in which the force of the spring is exerted is reversed vwith tne movement of the-lever 22, thereby making possible the production of a double-acting springactuated switch-throwing device requiring but one spring. It will also be observed that the switch-tongue B cannot come to rest save at either of the extremities of its movement. When the tongue is to be set permanently one way, as in \a spring-switch, the locking-pin 10 is inserted in the appropriate stud 9 to prevent movement of the lever 22.

I claim as my invention- 1. A double-acting switch-operating mechanism comprising a lever and a spring moving with said lever and reversing the direction in which its force is exerted when the lever is moved, said spring being connected at one end with said lever and at its other end with a switch member.

2. A switch-operating mechanism` comprising a spring connected at one end with a switch member, and means for moving the other end of said spring from one side to the other of its point of connection with said switch member.

3. A switch-operating mechanism comprising a spring connected at one end with a switch member, and a lever against which the other end of said spring bears, said lever being arranged to be moved from one side to the other of the point of connection of said spring with the switch member.

4. ln a switch-operating mechanism, in combination, a spring an unyielding abutment and a yielding abutment for said spring 5 means for connecting a switch member to said yielding abutment and means for reversing the relative positions oi: said abutments.

5. In a switch-operating mechanism, in combination, a switch-rod; a spring-.holder pivotally connected with said switch-rod a pivoted lever, and a spring interposed between said spring-holder and said lever.

6. In a switch-operating mechanism, in combination, a switch-rod, a spring-holder pivotally connected with said switch-rod; a lever the pivot for which is not in the same horizontal plane as the pivot for said springholder and a spring interposed between said spring-holder and said lever.

7. ln a switch-operating mechanism, in combination, a spring connected at one end with a switch member, and a lever against which the other end of said spring bears, the pivot for which lever is in, a plane diilerent from that of the connection ofsaid spring with the switch member.

8. In a switch-operating mechanism, in combination, a slidable bracket connected with a switch member a spring pivotally connected at one end with said bracket;l and means 'for moving the other end of said spring vrom one side to the other of' the pivotal connection of said spring with said bracket.

9. In a switch-operating mechanism, in combination, a slidable bracket connected with a switch member; a spring-holder pivotally connected with said bracket 3 a lever and a spring interposed between said lever and said spring-holder.

10. A double-acting, spring-actuated switch-lock comprising a reversibly-mounted spring and means for locking said spring against reversal.

11. A switch-operating mechanism comprising a spring connected at one end with a switch member, means for moving the other end of said spring from one side to the other of its point of connection with said switch IOO TOO

member, and means for locking said spring against such movement.

12. In asWitch-operating mechanism, in combination, a casing; a bracket sldabiy mounted in said casing and connected With a switch kmember; a spring-holder pvotally connected With said bracket;'a leverin yoke form pivoted inv said casing; and a spring interposed between saidl spring-holder and said lever.

13. In a switch-operating mechanism, in combination, a casing; guide-lugs ,formed upon the inner side Walls of said casin a bracket slidably mounted on said guide-ugs and connected With a switch member, said bracket having bearing-openings therein; a spring-holder provided with bearing-studs adapted tolie 1n said bearing-o enings; a 1ever in yoke form provided at t e ends of its arms With hooks; bearing-studs on the sides of said casing for said hooks, said studs being located in a plane diHerent from that of the bearing-studs on said spring-holder; stopstuds on the Walls of said casing for said 1ever; and a spring interposedbetween said spring-holder and said lever.

, THOMAS A. GERLACH. Witnesses: g

S. H. GooDENoUGH, J. V. STEWART. 

